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Getting 'Youth of America' Interested in Manufacturing

Finding people interested in careers in manufacturing is a major problem for processors and suppliers alike. Kudos to Milacron LLC, for their efforts in developing a comprehensive Cincinnati-region talent acquisition program that promotes technical education and careers in manufacturing.

The program includes vocational school student co-ops, scholarships, tuition reimbursement, apprenticeships, job shadowing and other initiatives.

“We’re in an economy where people are looking for jobs and manufacturers are looking for skilled workers,” said Dennis Smith, Milacron CEO. “It’s our responsibility as an employer of over 780 people locally to apply our resources toward keeping the workforce strong and providing individuals with the skills they need to succeed in the job sectors that are thriving.”

Much of Milacron’s talent acquisition efforts will be focused on assisting high schools, vocational schools and technical colleges in promoting the advantages and opportunities associated with manufacturing careers. The program includes a Twitter feed a Facebook page and a microsite touting the benefits of manufacturing careers at Milacron through testimonial videos.

“We want to demonstrate the benefits, opportunities and long-term satisfaction we know manufacturing-related careers offer and encourage students to pursue the skills and training they’ll need to succeed in this field,” said Dave Lawrence,pPresident of Milacron’s Plastics Machinery Injection, Extrusion and Mold Technologies businesses. “Many manufacturers have been talking about the need for this kind of program, and we took the initiative to get things started in the Cincinnati region. Our hope is others will follow suit.”

At the high school level, Milacron is reinstating a program to provide co-op and apprenticeship opportunities for students in their senior year, opening the company’s doors as a place of hands-on learning that supplements classroom learning.

For college students, Milacron is offering a new scholarship opportunity to support advancing education in manufacturing fields. The company will offer up to ten $1,000 scholarships per year to help new Milacron employees pay for continuing with postsecondary technical education.

Milacron also offers tuition reimbursement to its employees. This means that students who earn the scholarship can have additional help with related expenses and other fees while having continued education paid for as well.

Let's hope that more companies in this field follow Milacron's lead.

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